You’ve likely been written a prescription for a medication from a doctor at some point in your life… but have you ever been written a prescription for happiness?
That’s what Dr. Leif Hass and his colleagues at Sutter Health in the Bay Area have been doing recently. They’ve actually been writing old-school paper prescriptions, titled “Prescriptions for Health and Happiness,” hoping to give their patients regular doses of joy and self-compassion. Dr. Hass shares about this practice in an article for Greater Good Magazine titled, “10 Happiness Practices a Doctor Prescribes to His Patients.”
The ten practices on Dr. Hass’s prescription pad that he commonly selects from include:
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Take a few deep breaths
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Call an old friend
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Give someone a hug
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Help a friend in need
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Write a thank you note
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Sing in the shower
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Dance to your favorite song
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Go for a walk in a beautiful place
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Forgive someone
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Talk to yourself with a kinder voice
In addition to those ten staples, Dr. Hass also likes to add his own write-in to every single prescription he gives. It simply says: “Spread the love.”
This idea just fills me with joy when I think about it. A doctor writing a prescription to his patients to do the things that help them feel good, happy, and connected? To talk to themselves with kindness, and to spread the love? How incredible is that?
Which of these prescriptions could you use today? What do you need a dose of in order to feel better? What will help you feel more calm, connected, and well?
I’m personally going to give myself a dose of #8 today – going for a walk in a beautiful place. How about you?
Until next time…
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner